1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an application service, and more particularly to an apparatus and a method for managing a push service used by an application, and a recording medium storing a program source for the method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, various communication terminals including smart phones and various services relating to applications installed in a communication terminal are in widespread use. Among those services, a push service, for notifying a user of useful information, even without a request from the user, is becoming more important. In a push service, when a specific event occurs at a preset time, specific information is sent to a user.
Schemes of providing a push service include a messaging push scheme using Short Message Service/Multimedia Message Service (SMS/MMS), an Internet Protocol (IP) push scheme in which a mobile station receives push data from a server in a state of maintaining a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)-based connection with the server, and a hybrid push scheme utilizing a combination of the SMS push scheme and the IP push scheme.
The SMS push scheme is disadvantageous in that the SMS push scheme is limited by the length of data transmitted from a server to a mobile station, provides no feedback for reporting success or failure of reception, and imposes high transmission costs.
Therefore, a recent trend is to use the IP push scheme. In the IP push scheme, a connection with a server needs to be maintained. Further, in the IP push scheme, since data transmission/reception occurs frequently, an efficient management of data traffic and reduction of power consumption have been important issues.
The conventional IP push scheme described above will be discussed in more detail with reference to FIG. 1.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the conventional IP push scheme.
When there is a request for use of a push service from an application installed in a mobile station 110, the mobile station 110 transmits a message requesting registration of a push service for the application to a push server 120. The message requesting registration of the push service includes an identifier of the mobile station 110 and information of a corresponding application, and the information of a corresponding application may include an identifier of the corresponding application and version information.
Thereafter, the mobile station 110 transmits a mobile station authentication identifier received from the push server 120, together with information of the corresponding application, to an application server 130.
When push data occurs, the application server 130 transmits the push data, a mobile station authentication identifier, and application information to the push server 120. Then, the push server transmits the push data to the corresponding mobile station 110.
FIG. 2A illustrates a process flow of a message transmitted from a mobile station to a push server and an application server according to the conventional IP push scheme as described above.
Referring to FIG. 2A, when there is a request for use of a push service from one application among applications App. 1 and App. 2 installed in the mobile station 110, the mobile station 110 generates a message requesting registration of the push service for the corresponding application and transmits the generated message to the push server 120. FIG. 2B illustrates a construction of the message requesting registration of a push service. Referring to FIG. 2B, the message requesting registration of a push service includes an IP header 202, a TCP 204, message type information 206, apparatus information 208, and information 210 of an application requesting registration of the push service.
In addition, when there is a request for interruption of the use of the push service from one application among the applications App. 1 and App. 2 installed in the mobile station 110, the mobile station 110 generates a message requesting deregistration of the push service for the corresponding application and transmits the generated message to the push server 120. FIG. 2C illustrates a construction of a message for requesting deregistration of the push service. Referring to FIG. 2C, the message for requesting deregistration of the push service includes an IP header 202, a TCP header 204, message type information 206, apparatus information 208, and information 210 of an application requesting deregistration of the push service.
When information of the mobile station 110 has been registered to the push server 120 in response to the request for registration of the push service for one application among the applications installed in the mobile station 110, the mobile station 110 periodically transmits a periodic signal, known as “heartbeat”, to the push sever 120 for a continuous connection with the push server 120. This operation is illustrated in FIG. 3A.
In FIG. 3A, a message expressed by “Type: H” indicates a heartbeat, and “period” refers to a transmission period of the heartbeat. FIG. 3B illustrates a construction of the heartbeat.
During the periodical transmission of such a heartbeat, when there is a request for use or interruption of the use of a push service from one application among the applications installed in the mobile station, the mobile station 110 generates a message (Push off notification or Push on notification) requesting deregistration or registration of the push service for the corresponding application and transmits the generated message to the push server 120.
Accordingly, as described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, whenever there is a request for registration or deregistration of a push service, it is necessary to generate and transmit a signal for the request. Therefore, the related art is problematic in that it requires too much power consumption for the frequent signal transmission, which thus degrades the battery performance of a mobile station.